By liberty, I mean the assurance that every man shall be protected in doing what he believes his duty against the influence of authority and majorities, custom, and opinion.
Tag: Lord Acton
John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton (1834-1902), First Baron Acton of Aldenham
Liberty is the highest political end
Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is the highest political end.
The best argument for small government
The danger is not that a particular class is unfit to govern. Every class is unfit to govern.
We have to work to preserve freedom
Freedom degenerates unless it has to struggle in its own defense.
Secrecy
Everything secret degenerates, even the administration of justice; nothing is safe that does not show how it can bear discussion and publicity.
Power corrupts
And remember, where you have a concentration of power in a few hands, all too frequently men with the mentality of gangsters get control. History has proven that. All power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely.